Australia set to backflip on Steve Smith’s opening experiment in major shake-up for India series

Australia seem intent on dumping Steve Smith from his makeshift opening role, with the hunt on for a new partner for Usman Khawaja – and a shock contender emerging already.

Mitchell Marsh has been thrust back into serious consideration to follow the lead of his dad and brother and open the batting for Australia.

There is a growing expectation that Test selectors may backflip on Steve Smith as Usman Khawaja’s opening partner, but perhaps the most intriguing development is that even if that happens – the new man in the hot seat is highly unlikely to be a specialist opener drafted in from outside the XI.

“We feel as though that the team that finished in New Zealand, should they get a clean run at it and be well prepared, then they would be the best-placed players to fill that, there’s no doubt about that,” Australian coach Andrew McDonald told Gerard Whateley on SEN.

This means that if Smith is moved back to his best position in the middle-order, selectors will be shuffling the deck chairs within the existing top six to find the new opener.

The Steve Smith opener experiment was a mixed bag for Australian selectors. Picture: Getty

One surprise candidate being mentioned around the traps in recent days is Allan Border Medallist, M Marsh.

Promoting the hulking all-rounder to the top of the order would be a major shock on multiple counts, not least because the man himself made it very clear last summer he had no interest in replacing David Warner.

“How do I answer this without making a headline?” Marsh pondered at the time.

“For me … I’ve worked really hard to get back in this side and for me to look forward to having a role as an opener just doesn’t make sense to me.

“I love being at number six and in my last four Test matches I’ve really found my way and I guess who I am as a Test cricketer and I’m loving it, so I’m reluctant to change that.”

Mitchell Marsh has made a name for himself as a game-changing No.6 in the past 18 months. Picture: Getty

So on that basis, it sure would be a headline if Marsh was now asked to open against India, 12 months later.

But in the context of Australia being set on picking their best six batsmen and working out the order from there, perhaps Marsh is a candidate worth the most serious consideration.

If the starting point is that Travis Head, Cameron Green and Marnus Labuschagne are the future of this ageing Australian batting line-up, and they’re better off being left where they are – then selectors may have the least to lose by taking a Baz Ball style punt and asking ultimate team man Marsh to move up.

Having two all-rounders in the top six is an incredible luxury for Australia, but it’s one they may not be able to afford for a prolonged period if they can’t find a solution for replacing Warner at the top of the order.

Mitchell Marsh (L) and teammate Cameron Green are the two all-rounders in Australia’s XI. Picture: AFP

With Green the man Australia must invest in long-term, Marsh at 32 years of age and with a history of fitness issues, may be the best placed batsman to make the sacrifice of filling the void as opener and see if he can continue his career renaissance there.

Selectors could roll the dice on Marsh knowing excellent judges led by Greg Chappell were last year calling for Marsh to be Warner’s replacement in the first place.

“Marsh is Warner’s compelling replacement,” Chappell wrote in a column for Nine newspapers.

“His explosive batting style, combined with an ability to handle pace, positions him as the best candidate.

“Marsh’s proficiency in hitting down the ground and executing powerful hooks and cuts is ideal to counter-attack fast bowling.”

Chappell believes Marsh’s explosive style could work as an opener. Picture: Getty

But the reality is moving Marsh to open is more about what it might mean for those around him, rather than what is necessarily best for him.

This is a point Chappell also made 12 months ago, and this could be a telling factor as selectors face the fact the flow and cohesion of the innings didn’t quite work against the West Indies and New Zealand with Smith at the top.

“… Opting for Marsh allows the selectors the luxury of continuing the destructive batting style of Warner while preserving the stability provided by Labuschagne and Steve Smith in the middle order,” Chappell wrote.

“ … Marsh has the other advantage of coming from a line of opening batsmen, as his father and brother have done it before him. He has taken on that role successfully in 50-over cricket, where two new balls are employed, so the shiny ball shouldn’t faze him.”

Mitchell Marsh attacks the ball against New Zealand last year. Picture: Getty

Meanwhile, one of Australia’s great modern-day openers Simon Katich has gone the other way to former teammates Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden and says selectors should stick to their guns on Smith.

“It’s still very early in Smith’s opening career,” Katich said on Peter Lalor and Gideon Haigh’s Cricket Et Al podcast.

“He’s only done it in NZ and a couple of Tests against the West Indies. It can take time to adjust. Like any challenge, once you do it more often and you get used to it, you come up with a game plan as to how you’re going to go about it and I think he’s probably still working through that.

“… I’d back him to be able to overcome that challenge and I think he’s experienced enough and good enough to problem solve as we all know.”

Originally published as Australia set to backflip on Steve Smith’s opening experiment in major shake-up for India series